The David L. Lawrence Convention Center is the first and largest certified “green” convention center in the world and is the only meeting venue to be awarded the Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) by the U.S. Green Building Council. Opened in 2003 along the river in downtown Pittsburgh, it is walking distance to the Cultural District and the Strip District.

The Center, designed by Rafael Vinoly Architects, blends unparalleled functionality with cutting-edge technology making it quite a sight to behold. Acres of column-free exhibit space and refreshing natural daylight are its impressive architectural hallmarks.

Before you enter, look up and notice the great Jenny Holzer installation running along the interior edges of the entrance including texts by locally born writers Annie Dillard and Edgar Wideman. This is just one of the twenty-five commissioned art works throughout the building.

Inside, check out the view along the river edge of the building and then the equally fascinating view on the opposite side of the convention floor. Give yourself time to explore all the building levels and art.

When you leave, it's an easy walk across the street to the Westin first stopping at Three G Gallery in the concourse to purchase some locally produced art and then onto a sushi snack at the Original Fish Market.

The University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning is a 42-story Gothic-style tower. The Nationality Rooms are a collection of 26 classrooms designated as a Pittsburgh historical landmark. They are located on the 1st and 3rd floors of the Cathedral of Learning. Twenty-four of the 26 rooms are functional classrooms utilized daily by University of Pittsburgh faculty and students, while the other two are display rooms can be explored only via guided tour.

The rooms were financed and created by different ethnic groups from the area in response to an invitation from the Chancellor who wanted the rooms decorated to represent highly creative periods or aspects of their heritages. The rooms, completed between 1938 and 2000 provide spiritual and symbolic foundation for the tower. Many of the rooms contain fine artwork and even museum pieces in display cases and each is totally unique to the culture it represents.

Use the Fifth Avenue entrance to find the tour. Monday-Saturday, the tours begin at 9:00 and start the last tour at 2:30. On Sundays, the tours begin at 11:00 and start the last tour at 2:30. They close for Thanksgiving Day, December 24, 25, 26, New Year's Day. The fee for adults is $3.00 and children under 18 are only $1.00.

It's not the same as actually seeing them in person but they even offer a virtual tour: Nationality Rooms at the University of Pittsburgh 

The food was well prepared and tasty. We had halibut cakes and beautiful cheese plate for appetizers. One main course was a tasty penne pasta with sun dried  tomatoes, basil, pine nuts and olive oil served with a roasted beets, green beans and arrugala salad and the other was a delicious seared salmon with avocado corn salsa and a wild rice cranraisin pecan salad.

Dessert was absolutely yummy- a chestnut flower chocolate cake and little cream puffs filled with home-made vanilla bean ice cream. The service was excellent and we loved having the place all to our selves.

Located at 178-180 Pius Street. 412-381-7695 Call for hours.

Check out the web site for more details: UUBU6

On the North Side, try Middle Street off East North Avenue and in Polish Hill, go for  the Downing Street Steps off Herron Avenue.

My neighborhood, The South Side, offers lots of great step hikes which I do regularly for exercise. Try the Mission Street Steps from Oakley Way to Barry Street or Top of the Yard Way off of Pius Street.

There are also two great step events. If you're here in May try The Fineview-Step-A-Thon on the North Side with 381 steps. The Pittsburgh StepTrek,  held in October,  has two different courses covering 2,700 steps or approximately 1,460 vertical feet.

First there is Mad Mex, a contemporary take on the tex-mex style of food, with great burritos, enchiladas and the like. If you like high-style Pan-Asian try Soba or excellent sushi there is its neighbor, Umi.

For elegant and innovative urban dining with contemporary American flavors Big Burrito's Eleven located in the strip district is the one where they stand true to their claim of complex flavors simply prepared. Another great contemporary American take with a European twist go to Casbah, located in the east end of the city.

If you don't have the time or the money for a leisurely sit-down, you can experience the "big burrito" flavors at either the Warhol Cafe or the Cafe at Phipps.  These are cafeteria style settings with great food!

Have fun and tell them I sent you!

It's a little sloppy because it includes steak fries and vinegar-based cole slaw right on the sandwich and it's not even served on a plate, but it's the kind of thing that gets under your skin and you can't wait for any excuse to get there to eat another. You get your choice of cheese and meat, don't forget to add an egg and it comes on two huge pieces of fresh mouth-watering Italian bread.

The original location in the strip district is open 24 hours. When I was growing up, they catered strictly to truckers and were only open from 3:00AM to 3:00PM but now that everyone wants a taste, they expanded so you can get your sandwich fix anytime of the day or night.

The Primanti Sandwich is a Pittsburgh Institution and even listed in Wikipedia. Go for it and enjoy!

While you never know where you will find Quantum, at the other end of the spectrum is Pittsburgh Public Theater housed in the formal setting of the Pittsburgh downtown cultural district. It's stage is arranged so the audience surrounds the actors on three sides The Public's productions tend toward the classics, musicals and already successful contemporary pieces reproduced for Pittsburgh audiences. It is probably our most conservative and conventional theater.
The City Theater can be found on the southside of Pittsburgh in a renovated church structure.  They specialize in the production of contemporary plays that engage diverse audiences. They also have a little black box theater for even more alternative performance like Sister’s Christmas Catechism which will be there at Christmas time.

Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theater does as its title implies plays associated with either the classics or Irish playwrights. They are an independent company that stage their productions on The University of Pittsburgh campus.

The REP is the professional theatre company of Point Park University. Artistic Director Ronald Allan-Lindblom chooses alternative new works that entertain and at the same time give teaching and learning opportunities for the university. While they are housed in the old Pittsburgh Play House in Oakland, they have dreams of moving to a new location in the downtown area near the rest of the university.

All of these companies add up to a thriving local theater community with impressive opportunities to enjoy live professional theater any time you're in town. Enjoy!

Probably the best place to begin is to pick up a copy of Pittsburgh's  free alternative paper, City Paper .  It's available all around the town at local shops and restaurants. At the newsstand you'll find Pittsburgh Magazine  published by WQED, our public television station.

There are some interesting special interest magazines: new agers will want to see Point of Light ; fashion buffs will want Whirl; parents have The Pittsburgh Parent and there is a gay & lesbian newspaper called Out.

African-Americans will want to locate a copy of The New Pittsburgh Courier , Jews will gravitate to The Jewish Chronicle and Catholics will want to see a copy of  The Pittsburgh Catholic.

And finally if you like to watch rather than read try The Pittsburgh Channel, our very own strictly local news and information program. Have fun!

The newest addition to marketing is Trader Joe's which recently opened further toward East Liberty on Penn Avenue. It has an amazing selection of private label nuts, candy, fish, frozen food, dairy products, and the list goes on and on. The prices are great and it's fun to try samples of breads and coffee.

On the other side of East Liberty's Penn Circle lies the infamous Whole Foods. It's true when people refer to it as "whole paycheck"! It's expensive but wonderfully upscale. They have the best prepared food department anywhere and I love to stop by at lunch to sample the salad, soup and hot bar. On the weekends they make eggs and omelets to order and are great with special orders for all of your memorable celebrations.

To compete with all of these interesting nature food stores in the area, our regular supermarket, Giant Eagle, has opened its own form called the Market District . It is located further toward Shadyside on Centre Avenue. I don't have anything particularly positive to say about this store, except that it is an improvement over the regular Giant Eagles and is open much longer hours than any of the others.

I'm going to end by mentioning the long standing Shadyside Market at 5414 Walnut Street in Shadyside. My mother always referred to it as Tiffany's because of the prices, but if you want an intimate special selection of only the best of the best this market is sure to please.

My favorite buffet is at the People's Restaurant in Garfield at 5147 Penn Avenue. They vary the menu daily, have a nice salad and sauce bar and offer chai tea as part of the buffet.

If you want to make the rounds, try the buffet at Orchids International Vegetarian in Oakland at 4519 Centre or Indian Garden in the heart of Pitt country at 328 Atwood Street or Prince of India also in Pitt territory at 3614 5th Avenue.
If you want something a little different, try Tamarind Flavor of India at 257. North Craig Street. It particularly boasts home cocking with old family recipes and the spices shine through as you savor your selection.

My most favorite Indian Restaurant of all is Udipi Cafe located at 4141 Old William Penn Highway. It's not easy to get to and the decor is nothing to write home about, yet, this is Southern Indian cooking at its most authentic. Try a foot long dosa, a special Uttapam or a Thali that allows a sample of  three vegetable curries, bread and a platter of rice. Best of all, go with the entire gang so you can order one of each and share. Oh yes, and never go on Tuesday when it is closed.